


Come friends who plough the seas

by JenJo



Series: 52 Short Stories in 52 Weeks [18]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Meetings, M/M, Pirates, Stony - Freeform, winterhawk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 18:17:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6917923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenJo/pseuds/JenJo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which we discover how our favourite pirates first met each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Let's vary piracy

**Author's Note:**

> Week 19: A story set in a theatre.  
> 'Pirates of Penzance' is an opera by Gilbert & Sullivan.  
> Opera is a type of theatre.  
> Therefore, I use this an an opportunity to write more about the pirates.  
> (Title taken from Pirates of Penzance)
> 
> Chapter 1: Winterhawk.  
> Chapter 2: Stony.

 

The bar fell silent as Bucky entered, alone. He walked up to the bartender, smiling.

“The usual?”

“Of course.”

The bartender addressed the bar. “The game is darts. The rules are the same as always; three darts a piece. If you beat the champion you drink for free for the rest of your life. If you lose, you buy the house five rounds." 

Bucky smiled, nodding at the bartender and turning to survey the room.

"You must be confident in your skills." A stranger had walked up, and was standing in front of James. Bucky looked up at the man, and offered a smile. 

"It isn't confidence if I have the skill. Care to try your luck?" 

The challenger considered a moment, before nodding.

"I’m game. What are the terms?" 

Bucky considered the man. "Three darts, most points win." 

"That all?" 

Bucky laughed at the man. "Not enough of a challenge for you?" 

The man shrugged. "If it’s enough for a handsome man such as yourself, I’m sure I will manage." 

Bucky blinked, momentarily pausing before standing up. 

"First shot to the challenger," Bucky offered the man three of the darts. He shook his head. 

"Beauty first," he accompanied it with a flirtatious smirk. 

Bucky rolled his eyes, putting the spare two darts on the table. He turned to face the board.

Bucky’s three shots sat dead centre, causing the bar to cheer. Bucky was the champion for a reason, after all, and was often the source of free drinks.

Bucky winked as he turned to the stranger. "Good luck." 

The man was given three fresh darts. Bucky watched, confident in his win. 

Until the man’s three shots drove right through Bucky’s three. 

The bar fell silent, as the man walked up to the bar. Bucky took a seat at a table in the corner, shaking his head in shock.

"I'll start with a rum," he turned to smile at Bucky. "And whatever he's having." 

The man brought Bucky his drink, taking the seat opposite him. The crowd resumed their drinking, no longer paying attention to the pair.   

""I hope that my winning hasn't ruined my chances at speaking to you." 

Bucky shrugged, taking the drink. "The drinks a start. Name’s James, nice shot."

(It did not serve Bucky well giving out his nickname; coupled with only having one arm, it did not take people long to figure out who exactly he was. James was a much safer name.) 

The man clinked their glasses. "Clint. Not bad yourself. Unbeaten?" 

"Until today. Where have you been?" 

"Out and about. What I’m wondering is, where have you been all my life?" 

Bucky smiled. "Persistent, aren't you?" 

"Is it unwelcome?" When Bucky shook his head, Clint smiled. "Then I shall continue. I'm in town for a couple of days, before I sail away." 

"Captain?" 

"Not quite. Not interested in running a ship. The airs enough for me. Well, almost enough." 

"I understand. So, how is a catch like you not already spoken for?" 

Clint smirked. "You know how it is, travelling makes it hard to maintain much more than contacts. Also, terribly hard to find someone who understands me." 

Bucky raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" 

Clint drained his drink, before looking around. "Mind if we take this conversation to higher ground?" 

"Not at all," Bucky drained his drink as well, before following Clint.

 

~~~~~ 

 

"You're quick," Clint commented, sitting up on top of the roof of the bar. Bucky was only a few seconds behind.

Bucky shrugged, sitting next to Clint."Part of my job." 

"Which is?" 

Bucky answered with a raised eyebrow. "I’ll tell you if you tell me." 

"Sounds fair," Clint lay down to look at the night sky. "Not telling you though." 

"Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart." He lay down also, putting his arm behind his head.  

"I talk a big game. Flirt up a storm." Clint blew out a breath through his nose, keeping his eyes on the sky. “But it’s all a cover.” 

"It’s to cover the fact that you'll never go beyond a kiss." 

Clint sat up, looking down at Bucky. "You get it?" 

"Get it?” James pushed himself up, resting back on his arm. “Clint, I've lived it. Makes dealing with sirens easier." 

"Does it? I haven’t heard of anyone surviving an encounter before." 

"Well, the rest of my ship would’ve been done for. But I saved them all, thanks to my unique charms." 

Clint began to look at Bucky closer, worry evident on his face. "You're not pulling my leg?" 

Bucky sat up, and looked Clint straight in the eye. "I swear on the memory of my left arm. I have survived an encounter with sirens. Even made some friends. We trade with them now and everything." 

"Your life sounds like quite the adventure." 

"Can’t argue with you there. Feel like coming along for a bit, see some of the world?" 

"Won’t your captain have something to say about you bringing home a stray?" 

Bucky scoffed, barely suppressing a laugh. "He can’t say anything, king of the strays.” Bucky refocused on Clint. “That wasn't a no." 

Clint shrugged. "Wasn't a yes. Unfortunately, while I imagine that I would enjoy joining you, I have responsibilities." 

Bucky nodded in understanding understanding. "Do those responsibilities mean that you need to get back before morning?" 

"What do you have in mind, mysterious sir?" 

Bucky lay back down, arm behind his head. "Star watching is my plan. Though,” he turned his head to offer Clint a smile. “I would not say no to the company of such a fine man." 

"I find myself unable to say no to such a fine man." Clint lay down, closer to Bucky than when they had started that evening. “Seems like a perfect way to spend an evening. Say, do you know how to navigate by the stars?”

_Of course,_ Bucky smiled to himself. _But something tells me that I want to hear you talk some more._

“Why don’t you teach me?”

“Very well. Lesson one…” 


	2. With a little burglary

“Now, what do we have here?” Tony walked around the man tied up in a chair, before coming to stand in front of him, crossing his arms. The man was gorgeous, amazing, beautiful, every positive adjective in existence; despite being dressed in the clothes of a beggar, Tony felt drawn to this man.

However, this was not what he was promised when given this location. “I was promised the location of the greatest treasure in all the land. Now, you certainly qualify, but not what I think my source had in mind.”

The man smiled, causing the cut in his lip to bleed. “I’m sure it’s not. Truth is, I didn’t plan on being here either.”

Tony waved a hand. “Got a story?”

“Do you really have the time?”

“Do you have somewhere you’d rather be?”

“Admittedly, your eyes are a most fetching shade. I could do worse than spend some time getting lost in them.”

Tony blinked in surprise,  _ is this beautiful man flirting with me? _ ,  before narrowing his eyes at the stranger. “Story?”

“Very well,” the man coughed, before talking. “I was also led here with the promise of treasure. Alas, it was a trap. Before I knew what was happening, I had been knocked unconscious. Next thing I knew, I was tied up on this chair. Speaking of, would you mind untying me?”

Tony uncrossed his arms, moving a hand to the top of his sabre. “And why should I trust you? For all I know, this is all an elaborate trap designed to capture me.”

The man lowered his head, before looking up at Tony through his eyelashes. “Because a fine man such as yourself would never leave an innocent man tied up.”

Tony thought for a moment, before deciding that this man seemed to be telling the truth. He unsheathed his sabre, before walking around to set the man free.

Upon his release, the man stood up, rubbing his wrists where the rope had been digging into his skin.

“I thank you most kindly, good sir,” the man bowed before Tony. “However may I begin to repay you, for you surely have saved me from a certain death.”

Tony smiled at the man, offering a hand and his most charming smile. “A name would be a start.”

“Of course.” The man took Tony’s hand. “Steve.”

“Steve,” Tony took Steve’s hand in both of his. “The crown. A most fitting man, for your hair is most reminiscent of one.”

“Is my saviour flirting with me?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. Tony released his hand, holding his own up.

“Not if it is unwelcome.”

Steve shook his head, before reaching out to take Tony’s face and pull him closer.

“It is certainly welcome,” Steve whispered against Tony’s lips, before kissing him. Tony paused only momentarily, before raising his own hands to Steve’s face, and deepening the kiss.

The kiss was so engaging, that Tony did not immediately notice that Steve had moved the pair back next to the chair.

Steve moved his hands from Tony’s face, and took Tony’s hands in his own. He entwined their fingers, before moving their hands behind Tony’s back. In a second, Tony’s hands were bound.

Steve broke the kiss, pushing Tony into the chair and moving to the back in order to tie Tony to the chair.

“What?” Tony struggled, but Steve had secured him before he had realised what was happening.

“I apologise, good sir,” Steve walked back around to stand in front of Tony, smiling widely and holding onto Tony’s notebook. “But you had something that I required.”

“You could’ve just asked,” Tony shrugged. Steve smiled, opening the notebook and flicking through the pages.

“You have travelled far, seen many sights.” Steve closed the book, securing it in his pocket. “You would not have given this up just because I batted my eyelashes.”

“Never know. They’re very pretty eyelashes.”

Steve quirked his lips in response. “Thank you for the kiss, it was most enjoyable.”

“Agreed,” Tony smiled. “Come a bit closer, we can relive the joy.”

Steve shook his head, smiling as he did so. “Maybe next time, good sir.”

“Will there be a next time?”

“If you’re lucky,” Steve said as he turned and left Tony.

“One more thing!” Steve stopped, and looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Tony. “Is your name Steve?”

Steve smiled, before resuming his walk away. “Well, that is for you to figure out. Until next time, kind sir.”

“I wait with bated breath,” Tony called out, waiting for his own rescue.

 

~~~~~

 

“Did it work?”

Steve smiled as he boarded his ship, pulling the notebook out of his pocket and handing it to Bucky.

“Of course. No one can resist rescuing a damsel in distress.”

Steve batted his eyelashes at Bucky. Bucky rolled his eyes, hitting Steve with the notebook.

“Maybe on people who have never met you before, but not me.” Bucky walked beside Steve to the helm. “We have a course?”

“We do,” Steve confirmed, retrieving a map to begin plotting the course on.

“Is this man going to be a problem for us?”

Steve offered Bucky a smile, before looking back at the map. Bucky groaned, running his hand over his face.

“No, no, no. Come on Steve, really?”

“What can I say Buck?” Steve stood up, and clapped a hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “I have a weakness for brunettes.”

“Don’t I know it,” Bucky shook his head. “Just make sure that your affairs don’t cause trouble for the ship.”

“Not to worry. While I would be overjoyed to see the man again, I rather suspect that we won’t be crossing paths again.”

Bucky looked at Steve for a moment, before sighing. “If you say so.”

“That’s the spirit,” Steve smiled, turning back to his map as Bucky began making preparations to set sail. Despite what he had just told his best friend, Steve was sure that he would be encountering the brown haired man again.

Hopefully sooner rather than later.

 

~~~~~

 

“Tones, Tones, how do you get yourself into these messes?” Rhodey stood in front of Tony, arms crossed.

Tony offered his friend and first officer a sheepish smile. “As usual, a beautiful blond is the cause of my woes.”

“A blond… Tony, did you fall into a trap?”

Tony looked away from Rhodey, which was all the confirmation the man needed. Rhodey groaned, moving to release Tony from the chair.

“So, what happened?”

“The lead was a trap,” Tony said, leading the way away from the chair, Rhodey walking beside him. “I came here, there was a man tied up as I was. A most charming man, arms like you wouldn’t-”

“Tony.”

“Right, right. So, I release this man. He was dressed like a beggar, I was doing my good deed for the month. He kissed me, then tied me up.”

“Kissed you, then tied you up?”

“Well, you know how I’d normally be completely willing to do that, but this wasn’t one of those times.” Tony blew out a breath. “He tricked me. Used my one weakness to his advantage.”

“He took your notebook,” Rhodey filled in the blank. Tony nodded.

“He took my notebook, yes.” Tony shook his head. “Though, the kiss was almost worth it.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t.”

“You weren’t there.”

“We going after him?”

“Nah, he’s long gone. We’ll just have to hope we cross paths again at some point.”

Rhodey looked at Tony, before shaking his head in fondness. “Your heart will be your undoing one of these days.”

Tony smiled, wrapping an arm around Rhodey’s shoulders. “Perhaps. But what a way to go!”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)  
> Real life's been a drain, so this is a bit late. Sorry. I hope you enjoyed reading more about these pirates.


End file.
